Emily, my wife, and I constantly receive incredulous looks from people who discover we have three children going to three different independent schools. Emily has stickers on her car from each school, which usually elicits a raised eyebrow or a slowly shaking head from a fellow mom in the car pool line. Then the questions come: "How do you manage getting them to and from school?" or "How do you go to all the athletic events?" Her response is usually, "Oh that part's easy the trick is supporting three annual funds, three booster clubs and all the other fund raisers."
No matter the gender, no two children are alike. In our family, no two daughters are alike. And that is why our girls go to three different schools. We are fortunate that Columbia has a wide selection of excellent independent schools from which to choose. There is one reason why these fine schools are constantly becoming better, and that is competition. Competition raises the quality in most aspects of life. Why should it be different in the field of education? Although Columbia's independent schools benefit from a rapidly-growing community, they fiercely compete for a limited pool of families who choose not to send their children to public schools. Like most small businesses, they must run tight ships and strategically use the limited resources available for maximum effect. Each school has uniquely positioned itself to fill certain niches that appeal to the marketplace. Some associate with religious denominations or are faith-based, some are secular, some provide specialized programs, and so on. Independent schools must answer directly to their customers (parents) and are constantly scrutinized by them. These customer/parents pay top dollar for their products and expect good results.
Independent schools compete not only among themselves but also with the public school system. With the recent pressure of accountability, public schools have become less complacent and more competitive. An example of this is the International Baccalaureate program at A.C. Flora. By focusing on all subjects, long term assignments and an emphasis on writing, this program prepares students for the rigorous academic challenges of college. Likewise, independent schools act as a catalyst for change and repository of new ideas and methods for the public schools. These two school systems challenge each other and, thus, raise the quality of education available in the Columbia metro area.
As competition raises the quality of life, it also raises the entertainment level at our breakfast table. As you might imagine, there is a fair amount of rivalry in our household. Each girl proudly drinks from her respective school cup at breakfast while wearing her school shirt. When Heathwood, Hammond or Ben Lippen play each other, each daughter cheers for her school with the tribal gusto of a die-hard fan. But the rivalry stops if one of the sisters is actually in the game or on the track. In those situations, the girls cheer for each other. After all, competition does have its limits.
Sincerely,
Henry Clay
Publisher
Corrections for the March/April 2006 Issue:
The World Class Artist Meets Small-Town Irmo article on page CH15 had an incorrect byline. The article was written by Mesa Foard. We apologize to Mesa and Margaret Gregory, whose byline erroneously appeared, for the mistake.
The Dream Car for the 2006 Dream Home was lent to us by McDaniels Audi. We apologize for the misprint in the 2006 Dream Home supplement.
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